


Apparent Motion

by MissPop, Poplitealqueen



Series: GAC Verse [5]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, FrankenGAC, Gen, Grey Jedi, Pre-Slash, Smoking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-18
Updated: 2016-03-18
Packaged: 2018-05-27 09:24:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,084
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6278869
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissPop/pseuds/MissPop, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Poplitealqueen/pseuds/Poplitealqueen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Ahsoka feels helpless, her first instinct is to fight it. To find a way to rectify the problem, no matter how dangerous that solution might be.</p><p>Asajj knows better.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Apparent Motion

**Author's Note:**

> People keep asking about Ahsoka, and, y'know, she's _around_ in GAC. Not close, but around. She's out exile road-tripping with my GREY BAE, Asajj. Seriously, I love her, especially since she'd still be a lowkey bitch even after renouncing the Sith.
> 
> They might pop up in GAC proper. Not sure yet. I'd really only do it for Aunt Ahsoka + babies, and Asajj just verbally _reaming_ Anakin for becoming a Sith. ("I knew you were stupid, Skywalker, but I never realized just _how_ stupid.") OH GOD, and her just shaking her head at Obi-Wan (and probably being a little jealous of Anakin, too. I mean, damn. Dooku never cared for her that much), and !!!! maybe Surprisingly Competent Auntie Asajj? *wobbles* I have a desperate need now.
> 
> Anyways, enjoy!
> 
> -Pop
> 
> (*whispers* I promise, no more ficlet stuff until I get the next chapter of GAC up. Cross my heart.)

Ahsoka’s hands tightened on the steering yoke of their dingy freighter, and it took every ounce of will and patience she had left not to turn around and _throttle_ Ventress right then and there. 

“Just leave me alone.” she said, eyes still trained ahead of her.

But that gravelly purr of a voice continued.

“It isn’t a good idea to go back.”

Ahsoka looked over her shoulder and glared at the willowy Dathomirian. The older woman eyed her right back with cool, sharp eyes.

“I don’t care if it’s a good idea or not. I have to.”

Ventress raised one brow, then crossed her arms and tilted her hips in a mocking gesture that she apparently hadn’t left behind with the Sith.

“How Skywalker-esque of you.” she said.

Ahsoka flinched.  _“Don’t.”_  she warned.

She hadn’t been able to hear her old Master’s name for months without feeling a heavy stone of guilt settle in her belly.

Ventress respected her wishes, if only by the barest amount.

“I’ll explain to you exactly what will happen if you decide to be stupid and fly back there,” Ventress pursed her lips. “First, you won’t make it anywhere near Coruscant. Second, if you aren’t immediately killed, you’ll be taken and tortured in ways your young, naive mind couldn’t even begin to imagine, and three…”

Ahsoka shook her head, lekku thumping against her shoulders, and finally letting the steering handles go. “I get it!” she growled, before gloom fell over her once more like the shadow of a dark cloud. “...I get it, okay? You can stop now.”

Ventress sighed, and her voice became ever so slightly less biting. “Don’t think I don’t understand what you’re going through. Knowing there’s nothing you can do to help your Master is…difficult, but you need to accept it and move on.”

“Like  _you_  moved on?“ Ahsoka snapped, shoulders tensing and her knuckles turning white as she curled them into fists in her lap. "Last time I checked, turning to the Dark Side doesn't count as moving on."

She felt a crack of rage like a lightning bolt through the Force, blinding for the single moment it was there before it disappeared. And that just pissed Ahsoka off more; knowing that Ventress was able to release her emotions so  _easily_  while it had grown so difficult for her. She hated it, and she hated being stuck here with  _her._

“I’d like to hope that you're smarter than I was at your age,” Ventress snarling back, finally grabbing the back of the seat and forcibly turning it around. She stabbed a long, slim finger at Ahsoka’s nose. “I don’t give a Rancor’s ballsack about what you do or where you go, but know I _won’t_ agree to go face first into danger with you like a fool, and neither will <em>my</em> ship.”

Ahsoka just stared at her, scowling as fiercely as Ventress was. She'd much rather feel angry than feel helpless, but it didn't last. “I can’t just walk away from them,” she said, hunching over. “From him.”

“Why not? You did it once already.”

Ahsoka swallowed, glaring up at the older woman. She could feel her eyes starting to sting, and she didn’t want Ventress to see her cry. She _couldn’t_. Not now.

But she was walled in with arms on either armrest, and the look on Ventress’ face said that she wouldn’t move until Ahsoka came to her “senses”.

Well, kark that.

Kark all of it.

Ahsoka didn’t realise she was sniffling like a youngling until Ventress suddenly leaned away from her line of sight, and started fishing around in a utility box before tossing a rag down into Ahsoka’s lap.

Ahsoka looked toward her, vision blurry, and found that the fire had died in Ventress’ blue eyes. She was leaning back against the console, and she looked sad. Confused. And more than a little bit uncomfortable.

Ahsoka blew her nose loudly, and started to hand back the rag.

“Thanks, Asajj…”

The Dathomirian held up a hand. “Keep it.” she said, and then her eyes were rolling to the ceiling. She stared at a piece of machinery for a bit before finally pushing off from where she was leaning and heading towards the door.

“Where are you going?” Ahsoka asked, her voice cracking a little bit. She wasn’t done crying, that much was certain.

Ventress waited for the door to slide open impatiently, foot tapping on the deck.

“Bed.” she said, matter-of-factly. When the door slid open, she stepped halfway through and glanced over her shoulder. “Don’t pilot us to Coruscant while I’m asleep. I’m trusting you…Ahsoka.”

Ventress paused for a moment to pull out an open pack of death sticks, and stuck one between her lips.

“Those’ll kill you.” Ahsoka remarked.

“So will a lot of other things,” Ventress answered, lighting it and blowing out a billowing cloud of shimmering, multi-colored smoke.

Ahsoka regarded her.

“Can I have one?” she finally asked.

Ventress glanced at her. “Get your own.” she said, and the door whooshed shut behind her as she stepped into the corridor, leaving Ahsoka with only her thoughts for company.

She contemplated doing just what Ventress had told her not to do, and piloting them towards Coruscant out of sheer impudence. If she’d been a little more younger, a little less hardened, she may have. She _wanted_ to, but she knew Ventress was right.

Finding her old Master, finding… Anakin… and begging or screaming like a child at him to turn back to the Light wouldn’t work. Something in the Force was yelling at her not to go; to run as far and as fast as she was able, and it was only through her natural stubbornness that she had stopped that mindless mindset here, floating in a random space lane in their tiny, piece of druk freighter.

Folding her legs up into her seat, Ahsoka wrapped her arms around her knees and carefully, quietly probed the edges of her old pairbond.

It was silent. Stagnant. Had been for a while now. Anakin’s attentions had to be focused elsewhere. Like that was anything surprising.

It still hurt. It was illogical and silly and  _childish,_  but it still hurt. To know how easily and quickly she’d been forgotten.

(The Force murmured in her mind that she was lucky,  _so lucky,_ but she didn’t feel that way.)

Curling up into a tiny ball, Ahsoka let the tears flow freely. No one else saw them, save the stars.

**Author's Note:**

> *It is my omnipotent, authorly opinion that Vaderkin would be just as horribly possessive and protective of Ahsoka as he is with anyone else he develops an attachment to if she ever decided to come back to him. But I also think that, given what's going on in GAC, it's not the most *immediate* thing on his cuckoobanana mind. Besides, he IS preoccupied. No one ever said it was easy blocking the Force from a Jedi Master like Obi-Wan, after all.
> 
>  _*Druk:_ Slang in the SW universe for excrement. Basically just Ahsoka saying ‘shit’
> 
>  _*Kark:_ 'Fuck' (there a ton of word in Star Wars that can mean that. I love it.
> 
> *So, I took a few liberties with Death Sticks. I'm not sure if you inject, smoke, or drink them (perhaps all of the above are possible?) but I like the idea of Asajj quietly being stressed enough about the state of the galaxy to start using them, yet smart enough to now 'Hey, these probably aren't very good for people. No touchie, Tano.' I bet she uses them to mellow out, too. One interesting effect of using Death Sticks is that they muddles one's connection to the Force, which I assume is something a fresh ex-Sith would want. Just because she's renounced the Dark Side doesn't mean she doesn't still struggle to keep it in check.
> 
> (She and Anakin are more alike than either of them would ever admit, I think. Overemotional nuggets gotta chill.)


End file.
